1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope for capturing image information of internal organs of human beings or animals.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, the internal organs of human beings or animals cannot be viewed without an operation or autopsy. However, devices for allowing for direct viewing of lesion in the internal organs or body cavities have been devised in line with the advancement of medical and scientific technologies, and an endoscope is one of those devices.
Among the endoscopes, a camera-type endoscope that directly inserts a camera into an internal organ or a fiberscope-type endoscope using glass fiber, and the like, are commonly used. However, the camera-type endoscope or the fiberscope-type endoscope causes pain and nausea of a person in an examination, and cannot capture an image of a small intestine, having a restriction in their use. In addition, the camera-type endoscope or the fiberscope-type endoscope has a disadvantage in that it can hardly examine the digestive organs such as the small intestine or the like.
Recently, new attempts are being made by hardware or software in developing the endoscope techniques.
In addition to such attempts, an endoscope which may have the form of a capsule so as not to make a patient feel inconvenient or pain and be able to examine various types of internal organs, and an endoscope control method are required.